This invention relates generally to apparatus for dispensing stackable articles, and more particularly to plate or dish dispensers of the type used in cafeterias or restaurants.
Self-leveling dish dispensers are commonly used in cafeterias and restaurants. A problem with most such dispensers is that they cannot readily accommodate stacks of dishes of different diameters; they can generally only accommodate stacks of one diameter. One type of dispenser, which is adjustable, includes three vertical guide rods adapted to abut the periphery of a stack of plates. The guide rods extend through holes in, and guide, a moveable carriage upon which the stack rides. To accommodate a stack having a larger or smaller diameter, the rods are removed from their respective holes and then placed through holes farther away from or closer to the center of the carriage. A disadvantage of this type of dispenser is that the guide rods are not adjusted simultaneously or dependently. Each rod must be independently removed from its respective hole and then placed through another hole through the carriage. Another disadvantage is that the stack of dishes generally must be removed before the guide rods can be adjusted. Removing the dishes and independently adjusting the rods is time consuming. Moreover, these adjustable dispensers generally only accommodate round plates.